Improvement in carriage-tops



o. N. BENNETT. Carriage-Top.

No. 217,929. Patented July 29,1879.

N4 PEI'ERS. PuoaLlmomuin. WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIGE.

CHARLES vN. DENNETT, OF SALISBURY, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CARRIAGE-TOPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 217,929, dated July 29, 1879; application led June 25, 1879.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES N. DEN- NETT, of Salisbury, State of Massachusetts, have invented Improvements in Carriage- Tops, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of carriages which are provided with a top supported upon posts, and known as a canopytop,7 and which are provided with roll-up side curtains instead of doors; and the object of my invention is to provide convenient access to or exit from the vehicle at the side, when the curtains are closed, without fully re'- leasing the side curtains from the knobs or rolling up the same, as is now necessary. This I accomplish by means of a curtain-arm, which is hinged to and directly beneath the side bar ofthe canopy in such manner that it may be swung outward; and to this arm I secure the corresponding upper edge of the curtain, while its front, rear, and lower edges are removably secured to the posts and side of the body, the remainder of the upper edge being' secured to the side bar of the canopy. I also employ an elastic automatic catch, of my invention, which locks the arm in place when it is closed, Vas will be hereinafter fully explained.

Figure l is a side elevation ot a carriage body and top provided with my improvement, the hinged bar being indicated by dotted lines and the curtain shown as knobbed down. Fig. 2 is a similar elevation, but showing the side curtain as rolled up. Fig. 3 is also a side elevation, but showing the back portion of the curtain knobbed down, while the front part is swung open with the arm. Fig. 4 is a detached side elevation, showing the arm and its hinge and a portion of the front post and side bar ot' the canopy. Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section taken on line A B, Fig. 4, and through the catch that secures the arm in position when closed.

In these figures, a represents the body. b is the back, and c the front, post, that sup port the canopy, whereof d represents a side bar. C is the side curtain. f is the hinged bar. h i represent the parts 'of the hinge. j is the bar-stop, and k the elastic catch that holds the bar in place when closed.

The body a may be of any pattern, and when the post c is arranged near the middle of the body, instead of at the front seat, as herein shown, the hinged arm may be in front of such post instead of behind it.

The arm j' is hinged to bar d by the hinge h c', as shown in Figs. l and 4.

That part of curtain C which is shown at e is at its top edge secured to bar while that part marked c2 is secured to arm f, so as to swing with it.

Vhen the carriage is closed the curtain C is secured to posts b c and body a by the knobs g, in the kusual manner, and as shown in Fig. l; and it may be rolled up in the usual manner, as shown in Fig. 2.

Then the curtain is closed, as shown in Fig. l, and exit from or entrance to the carriage is desired, the front edge only ot' the curtain is released from the knobs, when it is swung outward, supported by arln j', as shown in Fig. 3, thereby aftbrding the facilities of a door.

When the arm is closed it is arrested by stop j, secured to bar d, and it is held thus closed by the spring-catch 7c, which enters the inwardly-inclined seat l in bar d.

The advantages of this catch are, that it holds the bar and curtain securely, yet does not require to be manipulated in order to release or secure the bar, as it readily yields to the required pressure from the inside when it is desired to open the curtain, and it is selfacting when the arm is closed.

I claim as my inventionl. In a canopy-top carriage, the curtain-supporting arm f, hinged to the top, substantially as specified.

2. In a canopy-top carriage, the combination of the hinged arm j' and the side curtain, C, secured to such arm and the top, and arranged to be swung and supported by the arm, substantially as specified.

3. In combination with the hinged arm f and bar d, having the inclined seat l, the elastic catch lr, substantially as specied.

CHARLES N. DENNETT.

Witnesses:

GHAs. L. ALLEN, GEORGE ALLEN. 

